- How To Prove My Gambling Losses Taxes
- How To Document Gambling Losses
- How To Calculate Gambling Losses
If you track your play at a casino you can get a win/ loss statement at the end of the year from each casino. This is the supporting documentation you would need to prove any losses. Dec 20, 2019 This interview will help you determine how to claim your gambling winnings and/or losses. Information You'll Need. Your and your spouse's filing status. Amount of your gambling winnings and losses. Any information provided to you on a Form W-2G. You must itemize your deductions to claim your gambling losses as a tax deduction. This means you can’t take the standard deduction for your filing status, which often amounts to more than a taxpayer’s itemized deductions. You’re allowed to deduct losses only up to the amount of the gambling income you claimed. So if you won $2000 but lost $5,000, your itemized deduction is limited to $2,000.
Most impt thing is to report all W2g's (handpays) reported to IRS by casinos- or their computers will automatically pickup a discrepancy.
'Gamblers frequently rely upon myths, urban legends and bad tax advice when it comes time to prepare their individual income tax returns.'
MYTH #3: I can use a win/loss statement from the Casino to prove my gambling losses.
TRUTH: Wrong! The IRS consistently disallows such win/loss statements from Casinos since they frequently report the amount of wins or losses as a “net” amount. (Remember, wins are reported on Page 1 of IRS Form 1040 and losses are reported on IRS Schedule A.) Furthermore, the win/loss statements frequently include language stating that they are merely “estimates” and should not be relied upon.'
http://www.ladyluckdiary.com/the-myths/
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IRS Revenue Procedure 77-29
by UNCLE SAM on AUGUST 31, 2010
SECTION 3. PROCEDURES.
An accurate diary or similar record regularly maintained by the taxpayer, supplemented by verifiable documentation will usually be acceptable evidence for substantiation of wagering winnings and losses. In general, the diary should contain at least the following information:
Date and type of specific wager or wagering activity;
Name of gambling establishment;
Address or location of gambling establishment;
Name(s) of other person(s) (if any) present with taxpayer at gambling establishment; and
Amount(s) won or lost.
Verifiable documentation for gambling transactions includes but is not limited to Forms, W-2G; Forms 5754, Statement by Person Receiving Gambling Winnings; wagering tickets, canceled checks, credit records, bank withdrawals, and statements of actual winnings or payment slips provided to the taxpayer by the gambling establishment.
Where possible, the diary and available documentation generated with the placement and settlement of a wager should be further supported by other documentation of the taxpayer’s wagering activity or visit to a gambling establishment. Such documentation includes, but is not limited to, hotel bills, airline tickets, gasoline credit cards, canceled checks, credit records, bank deposits, and bank withdrawals.
Additional supporting evidence could also include affidavits or testimony from responsible gambling officials regarding wagering activity.
http://www.ladyluckdiary.com/irs-information/irs-revenue-procedure-77-29/
How To Prove My Gambling Losses Taxes
MYTH #3: I can use a win/loss statement from the Casino to prove my gambling losses.
TRUTH: Wrong! The IRS consistently disallows such win/loss statements
It's a 'myth' to say that the IRS does anything 'consistently' where gambling is concerned. The one time I've dealt with IRS auditors, I provided a detailed contemporaneously-recorded daily diary, and they wanted to know where my casino won/loss statements were. They did eventually accept my documentation, but if I'd been able to provide won/loss statements it would have been useful. (I wasn't, as one of the two tiny casinos where most of my action occurred that year (over 500 W2G's totalling around a million) had no player tracking at all.)
Get and keep everything you can, who the hell knows what will satisfy the bozo who happens to look at your particular case.
The IRS didn't want to accept them because they were afraid players weren't using their players card or pulled it out of the machine to create losses. For the most part these days pulling your card doesn't work because the information is recorded on the last played hand whether you pull your card or not. In addition it would be stupid to play without a card as you cost yourself comp points and cash back. The IRS should accept the win/loss statements provided the casinos you claim you lost the money on your logs have player tracking cards.
I can tell you it works on electronic roulette or craps.
That's because the outcome has to be 'read' by the computer and there is a delay, (approximately 2-4 seconds) where the machine freezes to log the outcome and then compute wins and losses at each seat.
If you glare at the dice and yank your card out as soon as you determine you are a winner you will keep the action from being recorded. At least, that is true of the casinos I have played and tried it on.
I did some tests where I simulated losses and simulated wins to see if I could get better comps and for the most part it works. However, I would not suggest doing that since it looks suspicious to the eye in the sky. You might get away with it in Craps if you simulate a loss on seven outs (you only sporadically remove your card then.)I can tell you it works on electronic roulette or craps.
That's because the outcome has to be 'read' by the computer and there is a delay, (approximately 2-4 seconds) where the machine freezes to log the outcome and then compute wins and losses at each seat.
If you glare at the dice and yank your card out as soon as you determine you are a winner you will keep the action from being recorded. At least, that is true of the casinos I have played and tried it on.
I did some tests where I simulated losses and simulated wins to see if I could get better comps and for the most part it works. However, I would not suggest doing that since it looks suspicious to the eye in the sky. You might get away with it in Craps if you simulate a loss on seven outs (you only sporadically remove your card then.)[/q
good info-tx]
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If you had a successful night at the slots or poker tables, you're going to have to share some of the lucky proceeds with Uncle Sam. The Internal Revenue Service generally requires that you report your gambling winnings and losses separately when you file your taxes rather than combining the two amounts.
Record Keeping
As you gamble during the year, you need to keep records of your winnings and losses so that you can support whatever figures you report on your taxes. The IRS permits you to use per-session recording, which means that instead of recording whether you won or lost each time you pull the slot machine, you can simply record your total for the session. Your records should include the date and type of gambling, where you gambled and if you gambled with anyone else, such as a home poker game. If you win more than $600, you should receive a Form W-2G from the casino.
Taxable Winnings
When figuring your gambling winnings, only include the winnings from each session rather than using losses to offset your gains. You have to include gambling winnings even if you didn't receive a Form W-2G from the casino. For example, if you gambled six times during the year, winning $100, $3,000, $4,000 and $6,000 but losing $5,000 and $2,000, your gambling winnings for the year are $13,100. This amount gets reported on line 21 of your Form 1040 tax return.
Gambling Losses
To claim your gambling losses, you have to itemize your deductions. Gambling losses are a miscellaneous deduction, but -- unlike some other miscellaneous deductions -- you can deduct the entire loss. The deduction goes on line 28 of Schedule A and you have to note that the deduction is for gambling losses. For example, if you lost $5,000 on one occasion and $7,000 on another, your total deduction is $12,000.
How To Document Gambling Losses
Gambling Loss Limitation
You can't deduct more in gambling losses than you have in gambling winnings for the year. For example, suppose you reported $13,000 in gambling winnings on Line 21 of Form 1040. Even if you lost $100,000 that year, your gambling loss deduction is limited to $13,000. Worse, you aren't allowed to carry forward the excess, so if you had $87,000 in losses you couldn't deduct last year, you can't use that to offset the gambling income from the current year.
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About the Author
How To Calculate Gambling Losses
Based in the Kansas City area, Mike specializes in personal finance and business topics. He has been writing since 2009 and has been published by 'Quicken,' 'TurboTax,' and 'The Motley Fool.'